Inking pad and method of producing the same



June 4, T1968 w. K. MuNsoN 3,386,413

INKING PAD AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME Filed Feb. 24, 1966 wwwATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,386,413 INKING PAD AND METHOD FPRODUCING THE SAME Whitney K. Munson, 192 Comanche Drive, Oceanport, NJ.07757 Filed Feb. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 529,782 2 Claims. (Cl. 118-269)ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE An inking pad and method of producing thesame, wherein the pad comprises a perforated plastic plate withabsorbent pads on opposed surfaces thereof and, wherein, the peripheraledges of the plate provide projecting ribs with fabric facings lyingover and heat sealed to the rims and fingergrips are clamped to saidrims.

This invention relates to inking pads as used in stamp pads, generallyknown in the art and used for the inking of hand stamps of various typesand kinds. More particularly, the invention deals in a simple andeconomical manner of constructing an inking pad While, at the same time,producing a pad which will give long and practical service use, the padconsisting primarily of a core delined by a plastic or other supportplate, with felt pads on opposed surfaces of the plate and facing fabricsheets, peripheral edges of which are heat sealed to upper and lowersurfaces of peripheral portions of said plate, which extend beyondperipheral edges of the pads disposed on said surfaces of the plate.

Still more particularly, the invention deals in a method of producinginking pads of the type and kind under consideration in a manner tominimize the cost of production of such pads.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disposed and,in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of one form of inking pad madeaccording to my invention, with parts of the construction broken away.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial section substantially on the line 2--2 ofFIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, showing only a part of theconstruction and illustrating a modification.

FIG. 4 is a sectional detail View, generally similar to FIG. 2,illustrating the attachment of hardware to the peripheral edge of thepad; and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic or schematic view to more clearly visualize amethod, as hereinafter described, particularly in illustrating andidentifying the various successive stations inthe operation of producingthe inking pads. For clear illustration and distinguishing from the corestructures, the facing fabric strips are illustrated in dotdash lines.

Considering FIGS. l, 2 and 4 of the drawing, the inking pad comprises,first, what might be termed a core assembly, comprising an oblongrectangular plate 10, preferably made of substantially rigid plasticmaterial, the body portion of which, within peripheral edges of theplate, has a multiplicity of apertures shown, in part, at 11 in FIG. 1of the drawing. Temporarily fixed and positioned by spot adhesive orotherwise are cushioning and absoring pads 12 arranged upon opposedsurfaces of the plate 10, peripheral edges of the pads 12 terminatinginwardly of edge portions of the plate to form what might be termedborder rims 13. When the pads 12 are fixed and positioned 3,386,413Patented June 4, 1968 "lee on the plate 10 at a core assembly anddelivery station, diagrammatically represented at the left of FIG. 5,assembled cores 14 will be formed.

In thek method diagrammatically or schematically illustrated in FIG. 5,the cores 14 will be suitably fed in the direciton of the arrow 15 intoand through a fabric applying station, diagrammatically noted in FIG. 5,wherein two fabric sheets or strips from supply rolls 16 are disposed onupper and lower surfaces of the cores 14 and fed with these cores in thedirection of the arrow 17 for delivery to a heat seal station, noted inFIG. 5. The fabric strips 16 are of a width substantially equal to thewidth of the resulting pad to be formed. To simplify the illustrationand more clearly visualize the fabric facing strips, they have beenillustrated by dot-dash lines at 16. Initial feed of these strips areinto the heat seal station when the heat sealing dies or tools,diagrammatically represented by the brackets 18, are in open position;whereupon, the tools or dies 18 are moved into closed position, heatsealing the facing 16 on the border rims 13 of the core 14 then at thestation. Then, when the tools or dies 18 are moved into the openposition on completing the heat seal, the next successive core is fedinto the station and the heat sealed ink pad product is then deliveredto a position, as seen at 19, onto suitable means for feeding 19 in thedirection of the arrow 20 to a hardware attachment station or any otherfinishing station, wherein the completed end product, such as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, will result or the product as illustrated, in part, inFIG. 4, later described.

Returning now to the method of procedure after the heat sealingoperation has been performed and while the tools or dies 18 are still inoperative position, a pair of trimming tools 21 at a trimming stationare moved into operative position to shear the fabric facings 16 inorder to free and produce the heat sealed product, as seen at 19.

Considering now FIG. 2 of the drawing, at 22 I have shown the heatsealed edge portions of the facing sheets 16 as they are heat sealed tothe protruding rims 13 around the entire periphery of the pads 12. Inthis operation, edge portions of the pads will be slightly compressed,as dia grammatically seen at 23 in FIG. 2. This definitely maintains thepads in fixed position on the plate 10. At this time, it is pointed outthat, in the use of the inking pads, the apertures 11 facilitatetransfer of ink from one pad to another, the lower pad picking up inkfrom ink wells or reservoirs, for example, as more clearly shown in myprior Letters Patent Number 2,709,415.

Considering the patent above noted, it will appear that, at times,hardware of Vari-ous types and kinds is attached to side edge portionsof inking pads for support and positioning of the pads in a stamp padand, sometimes, in forming the pivotal supports for the pad tofacilitate reinking, as well as detachment and reversing of the inkingpad in the stamp pad, as known in the art. In illustrating oneadaptation of hardware, I have shown at 24 a hardware piece havingcompressed gripper fingers 25 which may be in one or two pairs, one paironly being shown, which is fashioned onto the border rim adjacent cornerportions of the inking pad, in the manner diagrammatically illustratedin FIG. 4 and, in dot-dash lines, I have illustrated at 26 a plateportion of the hardware. However, as previously stated, the portion 26may comprise a protruding pivot.

In connection with the pivot noted above, I have shown in FIG. 3 of thedrawing a modification of the structure shown, wherein a plate 10 isemployed, in all respects similar to the plate 10 of FIG. 1, with theexception that alined corner portions will have integrally projectingpivot pins 27 fashioned from the material of the plate and the otheralined corner portions will have some type or kind of hardware assistingin holding the inking pad in connection with the stamp pad or wallportions thereof or in providing any other function desirable for thepractical end use of the inking pad.

With cores of structures of the type and kind illustrated, in part, inEEG. 3, definite means will be provided for the feed and delivery of thecores and assemblage to the several stations, diagrammatically shown inFIG. 5 of the drawing, it being understood that the fabric facings willbe trimmed in the same marmer as diagrammatically illustrated, with thepossible exception that the trimming tools 21 may include a shearingmovement over the surface of the assemblage, as well as toward and fromthe assemblage to obviate shearing or weakening of the pivot pins 27.

With a method, such as diagrammatically or schematically shown in FIG.5, the production of inking pads of the type and kind underconsideration can be conducted at relatively high speed and with anoutstanding saving in the cost of producing inking pads of the kindunder consideration. Further, the end products produced according tothis method will be stronger and provide a greater service use than withpads as produced according to known methods. It will yalso be apparentthat, by employing the platelike structure of the core, a substantiallyrm, as well as strong inking pad will be produced.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desirer tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. An inking pad for stamp pads, said inking pad comprising a coreconsisting of a perforated plastic plate having absorbent pads onopposed surfaces of said plate, peripheral edges of the pads terminatingshort of the peripheral edges of said plate to form on the plateprojecting rims, fabric acings covering opposed surfaces of the cores,said fabric facings lying over and being heat sealed to upper and lowersurfaces of said rims in forming the resulting inking pad, predeterminedhardware being clamped in engagement with rims of the inking pad formounting of the inking pad in connection with a stamp pad, and saidhardware including gripper fingers firmly engaging the rim portions ofthe inking pad.

2. The method of producing inking pads of the character dened whichconsists in first assembling absorbent pads on opposed surfaces of aperforated plastic plate, with peripheral edges of the pads terminatinginwardly of the peripheral edges of the plate to form projecting rims onthe plate and in producing a core assembly, delivering the coreassemblies intermittently to a fabric applying station, then applyingfabric facings on upper and lower surfaces of the core assemblies atsaid fabric applying station, then intermittently feeding the coreassemblies one at a time to a combined heat sealing station and trimmingstation, heat sealing the fabric facings to the rims of each coreassembly at said stations and simultaneously trimming the fabric facingsin forming inking pads, and then delivering said inking pads to ahardware attachment station in producing the resulting ink pad products.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,340,882 5/1920 Freeman 156-251XR 2,521,984 9/1950 Lang 156-220 XR 2,674,977 4/ 1954 Munson 118-269 XR3,280,517 10/1966 Copeland 158-209 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 454,079 9/1936Great Britain.

DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner.

